DK3WN and PA3GUO, report that they have successfully -enabled-
RAFT VOICE
Mode and tested it over Europe.
Enabled, this means that any station may TURN ON voice mode over
his country with a single CONNECT RAFT packet. The voice
synthesizer will remain on for 2.5 minutes. Only the CONNECT
packet is required of that station. After his connect packet
brings up RAFT, then he can force a disconnect so he can try an
APRS MESSAGE to TALK. But he must force the disconnect without
RAFT hearing it, or it will disable the voice and no one will
know.
Once the VOICE synthesizer is ON, then anyone can send a UI APRS
formatted MESSAGE to the callsign of "TALK" and RAFT will speak
it (if it decodes it)... For those without APRS, a message can
be typed into the CONVERSE mode of a TNC as follows
":TALK.....:Speak this if you get it..." and RAFT will speak the
part after the second colon. Note that the 5 dots shown, are
actually 5 required SPACES.
RAFT is very weak and hard to hear except on HIGH overhead
passes, even with beams. Please do NOT attempt to turn on RAFT
or to send TALK messages if you cannot hear it. You may be
QRMing other stations.
Thanks
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR
US Naval Academy Satellite Lab